Occupant monitoring systems and methods
First Claim
1. An occupant monitoring system (OMS) for monitoring at least one occupant in a vehicle, the vehicle having a steering wheel assembly configured to rotate relative to a steering column, the OMS comprising:
- an imaging unit configured to be coupled to a steering wheel assembly, the imaging unit having a field of view inside of the vehicle and being configured to capture an image signal corresponding to an imaging area in the vehicle, the imaging area being within the field of view,a steering angle sensor, anda processing unit, the processing unit including a processor and a memory operably coupled to the processor, the memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;
receive an electrical signal from the steering angle sensor and the image signal from the imaging unit;
process the electrical signal to determine the angle of rotation of the steering wheel assembly and/or the rate of angular rotation of the steering wheel assembly; and
adjust the image signal captured of the imaging area to correct for the angle of rotation of the steering wheel assembly and/or the rate of angular rotation of the steering wheel assembly,wherein the imaging area encapsulates an expected position of the occupant in the vehicle, andwherein the imaging unit is configured to rotate with a central portion of the steering wheel assembly of the vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various implementations relate to an operator monitoring system (OMS). Certain implementations include an OMS coupled to a rotatable portion of a steering wheel assembly of a vehicle. For example, the OMS may include an imaging unit, such as a camera, that is coupled to a central hub portion of the steering wheel assembly. The imaging unit has a field of view directed toward one or more occupants in the vehicle and is configured to capture an image signal corresponding to an imaging area in the field of view. The imaging area can be configured to encapsulate an expected position of one or more vehicle occupants. The OMS also includes one or more processing units in electrical communication with the imaging unit that receives and processes the image signal from the imaging unit to determine an occupant state and, in some implementations, provide feedback based on the determined occupant state.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An occupant monitoring system (OMS) for monitoring at least one occupant in a vehicle, the vehicle having a steering wheel assembly configured to rotate relative to a steering column, the OMS comprising:
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an imaging unit configured to be coupled to a steering wheel assembly, the imaging unit having a field of view inside of the vehicle and being configured to capture an image signal corresponding to an imaging area in the vehicle, the imaging area being within the field of view, a steering angle sensor, and a processing unit, the processing unit including a processor and a memory operably coupled to the processor, the memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to; receive an electrical signal from the steering angle sensor and the image signal from the imaging unit; process the electrical signal to determine the angle of rotation of the steering wheel assembly and/or the rate of angular rotation of the steering wheel assembly; and adjust the image signal captured of the imaging area to correct for the angle of rotation of the steering wheel assembly and/or the rate of angular rotation of the steering wheel assembly, wherein the imaging area encapsulates an expected position of the occupant in the vehicle, and wherein the imaging unit is configured to rotate with a central portion of the steering wheel assembly of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A occupant monitoring system (OMS) for monitoring an occupant in a vehicle comprising:
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a steering wheel assembly configured to be rotatably coupled to a steering column of the vehicle, the steering wheel assembly including a rim surrounding a centrally located hub; an imaging unit coupled to the steering wheel assembly, the imaging unit having a field of view and being configured to capture an image of an imaging area within the field of view; wherein the imaging area encapsulates an expected position of the occupant, wherein the imaging unit is configured to be coupled to and rotate with a central portion of the steering wheel assembly of the vehicle, and wherein the hub includes a housing directly coupled to a backcover of the hub, and the imaging unit is disposed within the housing. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A method of monitoring an occupant in a vehicle using an occupant monitoring system, the method comprising:
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coupling an occupant monitoring system (OMS) to a rotatable portion of a steering wheel assembly of the vehicle such that the OMS rotates with the rotatable portion, the OMS including an imaging unit configured to capture an image signal corresponding to an imaging area in the vehicle, the imaging area being within the field of view of the imaging unit; processing an electrical signal from a steering angle sensor to determine the angle of rotation of the steering wheel assembly and/or the rate of angular rotation of the steering wheel assembly; adjusting the image signal captured of the imaging area to correct for the angle of rotation of the steering wheel assembly and/or the rate of angular rotation of the steering wheel assembly; processing the adjusted image signal to identify an analysis region; analyzing the analysis region to determine an occupant information parameter; analyzing the occupant information parameter to determine an occupant state; and outputting a signal based on the determined occupant state. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification